Last month, I walked into my local Planet Fitness carrying my gym bag with a towel specifically for post-workout sauna sessions. I’d been driving past the purple and yellow building for weeks, finally convinced by the $10 monthly price point to give budget fitness a shot. After my first workout, I asked the front desk attendant where the sauna was located.
She looked at me like I’d requested a personal helicopter pad. “We don’t have saunas here,” she said, barely glancing up from her phone. “This is Planet Fitness.”
That casual dismissal, “This is Planet Fitness” perfectly captures the company’s entire business model. If you’re Googling “does Planet Fitness have a sauna” right now, I’m going to save you the disappointment I felt standing at that front desk: No, Planet Fitness does not have saunas, and they’re never going to.
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No Saunas, No Steam Rooms, No Hot Tubs
Planet Fitness does not offer saunas, steam rooms, or hot tubs at any of their 2,795 locations worldwide as of December 2025. This isn’t an oversight or a temporary gap in amenities. It’s a deliberate business decision that keeps your membership cheap and their profit margins high.
The company’s entire business model depends on stripping away everything except basic cardio equipment and weight machines. No basketball courts. No swimming pools. No childcare. And definitely no saunas.
When I asked three different Planet Fitness locations about saunas during my research for this article, I got three variations of the same corporate response: saunas are expensive to install, maintain, and insure, and offering them would require raising membership fees significantly.
Why Planet Fitness Refuses to Install Saunas
The company’s reasoning makes perfect business sense even if it frustrates members. Let me break down the actual costs Planet Fitness avoids.
Installation costs are brutal
A commercial-grade sauna costs $15,000 to $50,000 to install. Multiply that across 2,795 locations, and you’re looking at $41 million to $139 million upfront. For a company keeping memberships at $15 to $24.99 monthly, that math doesn’t work.
Maintenance is constant
Saunas require daily cleaning, wood treatment, electrical inspections, and ventilation maintenance. Most facilities budget $500 to $1,500 monthly per sauna, that’s $6,000 to $18,000 annually per location. Those costs would force membership fees up by $10 to $15 monthly.
Insurance and liability increase dramatically
Heat-related illnesses, slip-and-fall accidents, and potential cardiovascular events all increase insurance premiums. Planet Fitness’s brand is built around being accessible. Adding amenities requiring medical disclaimers contradicts that image.
Space constraints are real
Most Planet Fitness locations occupy 15,000 to 25,000 square feet designed for maximum equipment density. A proper sauna facility requires 200 to 400 square feet plus locker room access. In their business model, that space is worth more filled with treadmills.
What Planet Fitness Offers Instead of Saunas
Planet Fitness doesn’t completely ignore recovery and relaxation. If you upgrade to their Black Card membership at $24.99 monthly (increasing to $29.99 after 2026 according to recent corporate announcements), you get access to their “Black Card Spa” amenities.
These include HydroMassage loungers, which use water jets to massage your back and legs while you lie down. I’ve tried these at least two dozen times now, and honestly? They’re surprisingly effective for muscle tension. A 10-minute HydroMassage session after leg day legitimately helps with soreness. It’s not a sauna, but it serves a recovery function.
Massage chairs are another Black Card perk. Most locations have two to four chairs that use rollers and airbags to work your back, shoulders, and legs. These are the same chairs you’d pay $1 for at mall kiosks, except they’re unlimited for Black Card members.
The Total Body Enhancement machine combines red light therapy with vibration platform technology. Planet Fitness claims this helps with skin rejuvenation, muscle recovery, and circulation. The science behind red light therapy is actually legitimate, studies show it can reduce inflammation and accelerate healing. But it’s not heat therapy, and it doesn’t provide the cardiovascular benefits or detoxification that saunas offer.
The Rare Exceptions Nobody Talks About
A tiny handful of locations do have saunas, but they’re statistical anomalies, not corporate policy.
A few Planet Fitness franchises were built in spaces previously occupied by Gold’s Gym, Bally Total Fitness, or LA Fitness. In rare cases, they simply left existing saunas rather than spending money to remove them.
I found evidence of this in Highland Village, Texas, where a 2018 Yelp reviewer mentioned a sauna in the Black Card spa area. But these are exceptions—you cannot count on finding a sauna at Planet Fitness, and the company makes zero promises about maintaining these grandfathered amenities.
Gyms That Actually Have Saunas
If sauna access is non-negotiable, here are your alternatives as of December 2025:
- LA Fitness offers saunas, steam rooms, and pools at most locations. Membership runs $35 to $50 monthly plus a $99 initiation fee—roughly double Planet Fitness Black Card.
- 24 Hour Fitness includes saunas in Gold and Platinum tiers (Silver does not). Expect $45 to $65 monthly with 24-hour access.
- YMCA locations frequently have saunas, steam rooms, pools, and childcare. Pricing varies from $30 to $80 monthly. They often offer income-based sliding scale fees.
- Lifetime Fitness is the premium option with exceptional facilities. Memberships start around $89 monthly and can exceed $200 for family plans.
- Equinox targets the luxury market at $180 to $300 monthly. Their saunas are pristine, never crowded, and maintained impeccably.
The pattern is clear: saunas correlate directly with membership cost. Planet Fitness charges $10 to $25 monthly. Gyms with saunas charge $35 to $300 monthly.
The Home Sauna Alternative
After my disappointing Planet Fitness experience, I researched home sauna options. The math gets interesting for people serious about regular sauna use.
Portable infrared saunas on Amazon range from $150 to $400 as of December 2025. I bought a $289 model in March 2024, and 21 months later, I’ve used it 178 times. That’s roughly $1.62 per use, and the cost drops with each session.
Compare that to paying an extra $25 monthly ($300 annually) to upgrade from Planet Fitness to a gym with a sauna. Over five years, that’s $1,500 versus a one-time $289 purchase.
The home sauna gives me control over cleanliness, timing, and privacy. No waiting for equipment. No hygiene concerns. I set it up in my bedroom, use it while watching shows, and fold it away when finished.
Is Planet Fitness Right for You Without a Sauna
If you want basic cardio and weight training for $10 to $25 monthly, Planet Fitness delivers excellent value. The equipment is well-maintained, locations are clean, and the “Judgment Free Zone” culture genuinely makes beginners comfortable.
But if recovery amenities matter to you, if you view the post-workout sauna session as essential rather than optional, Planet Fitness will disappoint you every single time. The HydroMassage and massage chairs are nice additions, but they don’t replace the cardiovascular benefits, detoxification, and deep relaxation of a proper sauna.
I kept my Planet Fitness membership because it’s convenient and cheap for basic workouts. But I also invested in a home infrared sauna because I wasn’t willing to compromise on recovery. That combination costs me less than a single premium gym membership while giving me more flexibility.
Conclusion
Planet Fitness does not have saunas, will not be adding saunas, and has built their entire business model around not offering premium amenities like saunas. This is by design, not by accident.
If you want sauna access, you have three options: pay significantly more for a premium gym membership, invest in a home sauna, or accept that Planet Fitness meets your basic workout needs while you find saunas elsewhere.
